Excavating-bucket



W. M. VENABLE.

EXCAVATING BUCKET, APPLICATION men JUNE 23, 1920.

1,39 479 Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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IN V E N TOR.

ATTORNEYS,

W. M. VENABLE. EXCAVATING BUCKET. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1920.

1,398,479. Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIT/(6'58. INVE TOR.

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EXCAVATING BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1920.

1,398,479. 4 Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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' EXCAVATING BUCKET.

W. M. VENABLE'.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. I920.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

ATTORNEYS.

W. M. VENABLE.

EXCAYATING BUCKET. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1920.

1,398,479.- Patented Nov. 29, 1921..

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WILLIAM MAYO VENABLE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BLAW- KNOX COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EXCAVATING-BUCKET.

Application filed June 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MAYO VEN- ABLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating-Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of ex cavating bucket which is commonly termed clam shell and particularly to a bucket of this type which is entirely operated by a single line. That is to say a bucket which can be closed to receive a load, lifted to transport the load and opened to discharge the load, all by means of a single operating line or cable.

Such a bucket is illustrated in my earlier patent of the United States No. 1,258,833, issued March 12th, 1918, and the present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the bucket therein described and claimed.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a bucket of the character described which is especially useful in connection with the rehandling of bulk ma.- terials, particularly when the bucket is operated from a crane which is used for other work when the bucket is not inuse and under conditions which give but a minimum amount of vertical clearance or headroom. The present bucket secures a considerablesaving in the amount of headroom required in which to operate it.

Among the further objects of the invention are first, the provision of a folding link operating mechanism for each scoop casting which is attached thereto at a point other than that upon the main scoop pivot pin or hinge; second, the provision of a duplicated folding link operating or closing mechanism, one for each scoop casting; third, the provision of block and tackle means ror operating the closing mechanism in which the two ends of the closing line are dead ended upon opposite scoops instead of to thesame scoop; fourth, the pIOVlSlOll of a suitable tripping mechanism by means of which the two folding links can be made to unfold simultaneously when it is desired to diunp the load; and fifth, the provlslon of a bucket which is considerably wider in proportion Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2Q, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 391,147.

to its open length than has hitherto been customary.

Further objects of the invention and ones which are more or less incidental to the fore going are first, the provision of a bucket which is more symmetrical and which balances better; second, the provision of a bucket having a greater space below the top thereof for descent of the operating block;

and third, the provision in a bucket of the character described of a'construction which eliminates or reduces to a great extent the tendency of the bucket to tip over when set down on uneven ground or material.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of hinge castings for the scoops which bridge the space between scoops thereby giving them greater stiffness and rigidity and at the same time providing an effective protection or guard for the operating line and sheaves in order to protect them from coming into contact with the material being handled.

The foregoing objects as well as those which may hereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention will be more clearly appreciated and understood in connection with the following description of the'accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention in its preferred form and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bucket in closed position; Fig.2 is a side elevation of the bucket with the scoops in open position showing the parts in the positions they would take if the bucket were opened by means of the tripping mechanism; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bucket in open position showing the closing. mechanism lowered against the scoops with the parts in the positions theywould occupy just prior to the closing operation of the bucket; Fig. 4: is an end view of the bucket in closed position; and Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive are detailed illustrations of various portions of the operating and closing mechanism.

Referring to the drawings it willbe seen that my improved bucket comprises the usual pair of scoop segments 1 provided with hinge castings 2 pivoted together upon the hinge pin 3. Upon the pins 5 at the outer upper edges of the scoop segments, I pivot the corner bars 4. These corner bars are four in number, a pair for each scoop and extending transversely of the bucket between the bars of each pair I provide a head block 7. From the ends of the head blocks upper corner bars a extend longitudinally of the bucket toward the center line thereof and are pivoted together upon pins 6.

This corner bar and head block construction forms a framework over the bucket which is composed of two units, one for each scoop segment and, as will more clearly appear hereinafter, the closing mechanism for the bucket comprises two units, one for each scoop, which during their operations, move toward or away from the respective unit of the frame work.

A head sheave 8 is mounted upon each head block and the cable 9 for operating the bucket closing mechanism is reeved over these sheaves and under other sheaves, to be described, in the operating mechanism. An end of the cable 9 is fastened to each scoop segment upon the brackets 10, and the closing mechanism operates in the bight of this cable. Above the operating parts the cable 9 is reeved over an equalizing bar 11 provided with an opening 12 into which the hook of the crane block or other bucket elevating mechanism is adapted to fit.

A folding link closing mechanism, now to be described is provided for each scoop segment and in the drawings I have designated them as a unit by the reference character A. (See Fig. 1). Each of the folding link mechanisms comprises a lower bent arm 13 which is pivoted to the hinge casting upon the pin 14: and an upper straight arm 15, one end of which is pivoted upon the pin 16 to the opposite end of the arm 13.

Upon each of the'pins 5 is mounted for swingingmovement a radius rod .17 which carries at its inner end a sheave 18 mounted upon the pin 19. The pins 19 are of sufficient length to pivotally connect the radius rods to the free ends of the straight upper arms 15 of the folding link mechanisms. The operating cable 9 after leaving the sheaves 8 is reeved beneaththe sheaves 18 and then up and over the equalizing bar 11.

In Fig. 1 the bucket is being supported from the equalizing bar 11 and the parts are in the positions they would occupy when the bucket is closed. The weight of the bucket and its load maintains the folding links in this position as long as the joints segments. This can be accomplished by a tripping mechanism which I have provided and which will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive, it will be seen that the main hinge pin 3 is provided with a rotatable hub 20 which carries a tripping cam 21 for one of the closingmechanisms, which in the present embodiment is arranged to operate upon the mechanism for the right hand scoop, and an odset portion or recess 22 which is adapted to exert pressure against the folding link mechanism for the left hand scoop as will more clearly appear below. Projecting from the right hand upper arm 15 of the closing mechanism is an arm 23 carrying a roller 2a which is adapted to engage the cam 21. Pivoted to the upper arm 15 of the left hand folding link mechanism upon a pin 25 is a tripping pawl 26 provided with a counterweight 27 and the end of this pawl 26 is adapted to be caught in the recess 22 so that when the hub 20 is rotated counterclockwise the left hand folding link mechanism is dis placed at the same time that the cam 21 displaces the right hand folding link mechanism. Rotation of the hub 20 is effected by means of a tripping lever 28 affixed to the hub in any suitable manner. ,It should be stated in order to avoid possible confusion that the showing of Figs. 5 and 6 is on a greatly enlarged scale from that which is employed in the balance of the figures.

The functions of the parts which have already been described will be more clear upon an analysis of the operation of the bucket which is as follows. As previously stated, in Fig. 1, the bucket is illustrated in closed position with the, parts arranged accordingly. The bucket is being supported from the equalizing bar 11. If the operator desires to dump the load he lifts up upon the tripping lever 28 thereby rotating the tripping hub 20 counterclockwise and bringing the cam 21 into contact with the wheel 24 and the recess 22 into contact with the end of the tripping pawl 26. This exerts pressure against the folding link mechanisms and moves them outwardly and when they have been displaced a suhicient distance to bring the pins 16 to the outside of the lines of stress between the cable and the segments, the weight of the bucket will cause the scoops to open and the parts will assume the positions indicated in Fig. 2.

The bucket can now be closed by first paying out on the cable which is attached to the equalizing bar 11 in order to permit the radius rods 17 to swing downwardly and the two' arms of the folding link mechanisms to come together again. The parts will then assume the positions indicated in Fig. 3. When this happens the parts belonging to the right hand scoop assume the same relationship thereto which they held when the scoops were closed and consequently thesame relationship to the tripping mechanism, but the tripping mechanism does not occupy the same relation to the left hand scoop and on this account the tripping pawl 26 is provided with the counterweight 27 above referred to. The counterweight swings the pawl 26 so :that it will hang free of the tripping hub .20 until, as the scoops are again closed, the parts come into the proper relation with respect to one another to permit the end of the pawl 26 to drop into the recess 22. 7 With the parts in the positions indicated in Fig. 3, the bucket can now be closed by simply raising the equalizing bar 11. I

The blocks 7 and the sheaves 8 and 18 are provided with stops '29 which abut when the radius rods are in their upper positions in order to prevent too great upward movement thereof.

It will be noted that when the bucket is set down open and the hoisting line paid out so that the folding arms can close, they lap past each other as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and S, the latter figure representing certain of the parts in the same positions that they occupy in the formenbut with other parts removed for purpose of clearness.

It will also be noted that the construction forms what may be termed a four hinged grab in which each scoop member is independently drawn toward the frame construe tion to which it is hinged.

The hinge castings are riveted or otherwise secured tothe scoops and are so formed that the same casting can be used for either scoop by simply reversing it. Each casting is provided with a web member 30 which stiffens the connected members and also when the bucket is opened, bridges over the space between the scoops in order to protect the operating sheaves and cable from possible damage which might occur were they free to come into contact with the material being excavated. This hinge construction besides protecting the parts gives greater stiifness and rigidity to the bucket as a whole.

A. single line bucket of the character set forth is more symmetrical and balances better than similar buckets of different types and as improved considerable vertical saving in headroom is secured. There is also provided much more space in which to permit the operating crane block to descend below the top of the bucket. The tendency for the bucket to tip over when set down on uneven material is greatly lessened. All parts are in duplicate with the exception of the equalizing bar, the main hinge 3 and the various parts of the tripping mechanism.

I claim: 1. An excavating bucket comprislng in combination a pair of scoops pivoted totripping said closing mechanisms to permit thebucket to open.

,2. An excavating bucket comprising in combination, a pair of scoop segments, a hingefor joining the segments so that they may be opened and closed upon movement of the hinge, a cable for supporting the hinge, and a folding link closing mechanism for each scoop segment connecting the cable with the segment, said link mechanisms being adapted when folded and supporting the segments to be held in folded position by the weight of the bucket and to be unfolded by weight of the bucket to lower the hinge when the link elements are relatively displaced a predetermined distance.

8. An excavating bucket comprising in of the hinge, a cable for supporting the hinge, and a foldinglink closing mechanism for each scoop segment connecting the cable with the segment, said link mechas nisms being adapted when folded and S111 porting the segments to be held in folded position by the weight of the bucket and t be unfolded by weight of the bucket to lower the hinge when the link elements are relatively displaced a predetermined distance, together with means for displacing the link elements.

4. An excavating bucket comprising in combination, a pair of scoop segments, a hinge for joining the segments so that they may be'opened and closed upon movement ofthe hinge, a cable for supporting the hinge, one end of whichis fastened to each scoop segment, and a folding link closing mechanism for each scoop segment operating in the bight of the hinge supporting cable and adapted when folded and supposition by the weight of the bucket and to be unfolded by weight of the bucket to lower the hinge when the link elements are unfolded a predetermined distance.

. 5. An excavating bucket comprising in porting the bucket hinge to be held in folded izo supporting the bucket hinge to be held in folded position by the weight of the bucket and to be unfolded by weight of the bucket to lower the hinge when the link elements are unfolded a predetermined distance.

'6. An excavating bucket comprising in combination, a pair of scoop segments, a hinge for joining the segments so that they may be opened and closed upon movementof the hinge, a cable for supporting the hinge, and a folding link, having a joint, for each segment connecting the cable withthe segments and adapted when folded and supporting the hinge to be held in folded position by the weight of the bucket, with the joints of the links positioned to one side of the line of stress between the cable and the nected at one end to the scoop and having the other end free and adapted to support the hinge wien in folded position and to permlt of the opening of the segments when 111 unfolded posltlon, and a cable extending between the free ends of the folding links and the corner bars for drawing the links toward the bars to close the segments.

operating cable reeved between the frames and the arms of the folding links, which are connected to the guide rod.

9. An excavating bucket comprising in combination pivoted scoops, a frame, pivotal connections between the frame and the scoopsyand a folding link closing means for i each scoop pivoted to the scoop at a point removed from the scoop pivot.

10. An excavating bucket comprising in combination pivoted scoops, a frame, pivotal connections between the frame and the scoops, a folding link closing means for each scoop pivoted thereto, and cable means actuating the closing means." 7

11. An excavating bucket comprising in combination pivoted scoops, a frame, pivotal connections between the frame and the scoops, a folding link closing means for each scoop pivoted thereto, and a trip means operating on both closing means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

7 WILLIA MAYO 'VENABLE. 

